Hungary’s Foreign Ministry has launched a fresh internal investigation after uncovering what officials describe as serious irregularities in the granting of Hungarian citizenship and diplomatic passports during previous administrations.

György László Velkey, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, announced on Friday that authorities have already begun revoking diplomatic passports that were allegedly issued without proper justification. However, he said the review has now revealed another controversial practice: the granting of Hungarian citizenship to foreign nationals with no apparent ties to Hungary.

Diplomatic passport review uncovers wider concerns

In a video statement published on Friday, Velkey said he was in the process of signing documents withdrawing diplomatic passports that had allegedly been abused for years.

According to the state secretary, the investigation into diplomatic passport issuance has already uncovered numerous irregularities, and the review remains ongoing.

“This is only the beginning,” Velkey said, adding that the ministry intends to put an end to what he described as an era of privileges within the Foreign Ministry.

He also warned that some individuals had surrendered their diplomatic passports before the recent change of government, but stressed that this would not exempt them from potential responsibility, Telex writes.

Citizenship granted without meaningful Hungarian connections

Velkey said the ministry’s investigation into the period when Péter Szijjártó served as foreign minister extends far beyond diplomatic passports.

According to the state secretary, investigators have identified cases in which foreign citizens received Hungarian citizenship under provisions allowing naturalisation on grounds of national interest, despite allegedly having no meaningful connection to Hungary.

He added that in some cases there are suspicions that financial interests may have played a role in the decisions.

“Based on the information uncovered so far, we can reasonably presume that behind the loudly proclaimed sovereignty slogans there was primarily the protection of certain private interests and the support of business circles and friends,” Velkey stated.

In the Facebook post, he wrote that while the ministry had already taken action regarding individually approved diplomatic passports, investigators had discovered “new skeletons in the closet”, alleging that many people had received Hungarian citizenship without proper justification or eligibility. He promised that the ministry would continue its internal inquiry and provide further information to the public in the near future.

Earlier controversy over diplomatic passports

The latest announcement follows previous reports concerning the issuance of diplomatic passports during the Orbán governments.

Velkey had earlier stated that some individuals allegedly received diplomatic passports without proper reasoning and, in certain cases, at the request of unofficial political figures.

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Hilarion case draws renewed attention

The investigation has also revived attention around one of the most controversial citizenship cases in recent years.

Hilarion, a Russian Orthodox metropolitan with no known Hungarian roots or family connections, was granted both Hungarian citizenship and a Hungarian passport through a national-interest procedure. The decision attracted criticism because the government did not publicly explain why granting citizenship served Hungary’s national interest.

The case returned to the spotlight recently after reports emerged that cocaine had allegedly been found in a vehicle linked to the church leader.

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